Thanks to Pep Guardiola’s guidance, the technically gifted and tactically smart City tyro is now running games from all anglesIt seems remarkable that there was a time, not so long ago, when the Premier League was seen as holding England back. Only about a third of its players were England-qualified, the argument went, and so opportunities for English youth were restricted. The Premier League has many problems and causes many problems, and for the vast majority of young players perhaps it is difficult to secure game time. But for those at elite level it can be a useful finishing school, offering the most promising young players regular high-class opposition and the very best teachers.These are extraordinary times for English football....
Starved of creativity, Chelsea were swarmed by Manchester City’s press as Pep Guardiola beat his German rival at the fourth attemptIt’s dangerous always to elevate players in absentia, to assume that if only they had been there they would have produced a flawless game and performed absolutely to their maximum, but perhaps the biggest lesson from the clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was just what a good player Mason Mount is.Chelsea so far this season had been the most impressive of the title contenders because they had seemed to have such balance between attack and defence – a quality that has become increasingly rare as the financial imbalances of the modern game have led superclubs to focus on the...
Bizarre spat with his own fans speaks of a manager who thrives on creating tension ahead of high-stakes visit to ChelseaNever, ever get comfortable. Watching Pep-era Manchester City cruise through the past five years of beautifully engineered success, backed by perhaps the most supportive, frictionless, economically impregnable environment ever created in English football, it has at times been hard to avoid one key question. Mainly: why all the drama?City travel south to play Chelsea in Saturday’s delicious-looking early kick-off. Aside from the more meaningful pre-match noises off, there has once again been a sense of a peculiar kind of micro-fuss being played out around City’s manager. Continue reading...
Guardiola has nurtured Phil Foden and has two years left to cement Manchester City’s standing as one of Europe’s bestSeven years will be the longest period Pep Guardiola has spent managing any one club when he eventually exits Manchester City in the summer of 2023. The Catalan has confirmed his departure at the end of next season, giving the club two years to get everything they can out of their manager to leave them in the best shape possible for the long term.Under Guardiola, the football has been electric and the number of goals scored mind-boggling, all in the name of eight major trophies. Three Premier League titles have been the peak with the Champions League final against Chelsea last...
Guardiola has nurtured Phil Foden and has two years left to cement Manchester City’s standing as one of Europe’s bestSeven years will be the longest period Pep Guardiola has spent managing any one club when he eventually exits Manchester City in the summer of 2023. The Catalan has confirmed his departure at the end of next season, giving the club two years to get everything they can out of their manager to leave them in the best shape possible for the long term.Under Guardiola, the football has been electric and the number of goals scored mind-boggling all in the name of eight major trophies. Three Premier League titles have been the peak with the Champions League final defeat against Chelsea...